Saving Faith
Notes
Transcript
Intro:
Wheelbarrow tight rope
Saying I love you, without any of the accompanying actions
Aladdin “Do you trust me”
Faith and action are like two blades of a pair of scissors
We know that faith is vital to the Christian Life
We are saved “Through faith”
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
and we “Live by Faith”
For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”
for we walk by faith, not by sight—
We cannot please God without Faith
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.
Yet…as surely as there is counterfeit money, fake shepherds, and false apostles, there is unbiblical faith.
Iron pyrite, also known as fools gold, sparkles like real gold
But its value is far below real gold
Verifying gold coins
In the past, people would bite gold coins to see if they were real or fake. If a bite left a mark in the coin, it was likely made of real gold. This was because gold is more malleable than other metals, like counterfeit gold-plated lead.
Identifying gold nuggets
During the 19th century gold rush, American prospectors would bite gold nuggets to make sure they weren't fool's gold, which is actually yellow pyrite crystals.
Likewise, there is a type of belief that falls short of the faith that saves
Many of us have met people who claim to be Christians.
Yet, their lives lack evidence to support their claims.
Their walk does not match their talk
Their actions do not show the transforming power of the savior
They are slaves of self, sin and Satan.
What value is a faith that does not reveal itself in a life that pleases God?
Will this type of belief lead people to heaven?
Our passage today starts with a similar question:
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
The basic answer is NO!
Faith is more than saying the right words or making the right confession
Jesus warned:
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Profession is not possession
You can’t just name it and claim it
A person can profess to have salvation, but lack saving faith.
Not everyone singing about heaven is going there.
My two basic points today highlight two points on saving faith as we look at how the teachings of James show how faith and works go together like fire and heat, water and wet.
-Saving Faith-
Faith without action is useless
Saving Faith and action are united
James tells us that real faith must produce action
James 2:20 (NASB95)
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Faith that fails to produce deeds is like a fruit tree that bears no fruit
worthless
although I wish my mulberry tree didn’t produce any fruit
Our passage gives three examples to show how faith without action is useless
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him?
If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food,
and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?
Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.
Example 1: Telling a person to feel full or warm without doing anything about it
Example 1: Telling a person to feel full or warm without doing anything about it
Just saying be warm and well fed isn’t enough, especially when it is another Christian
The hungry Christian needs more than words.
He needs food and clothing
Real faith is more than barren compassion
Fake faith substitutes words for deeds.
Words of encouragement are good, but they must join action.
When we see an urgent need, yet do nothing,
words of cheer and comfort are useless
and those in need will not listen to our kind words without kind deeds.
Empty stomachs have no ears
Faith without deeds is vain, worthless, unprofitable-good for nothing
But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”
You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.
Faith without action
Example 2: Faith without action is as useless as the faith of demons
Example 2: Faith without action is as useless as the faith of demons
Some may claim that faith and deeds are two different gifts, like prophecy and healing.
The bible makes it clear by saying: “SHOW ME”
Prove it to me that what you have real faith
Where there is no action, there is no proof of faith
it becomes just talk
For faith without action is fiction
On the other side, Real faith is easy to verify and validate- It produces deeds!
Some believe that faith is just something we believe in the mind.
Remember, that our verse here is directed towards Jewish Christians.
The most important doctrine to Jews was the “oneness” or unity of God
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!
For sure, the unity of God is an important doctrine.
But believing in the unity of God will not save a person
Even the demons believe in one God.
Demons have some right doctrine, but it does not save them.
The belief of demons does not affect their actions.
Knowing that salad is healthy for you is pointless unless you actually eat it
Belief that affects the head, but not the heart, hands, and feet, falls short of saving faith
Real biblical faith affects our actions.
Faith without actions has the same value as the faith of a demon, less than a penny a ton. It is worthless
Jumping down to verse 26 for our third example
For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.
Example 3: Faith without action is as useless as the body without the spirit
Example 3: Faith without action is as useless as the body without the spirit
Faith without good deeds is as useless as a body without a spirit.
When the spirit leaves the body, a person dies.
Then people have a funeral and bury the body.
There is no point in keeping a body after the spirit leaves.
On top of being illegal, it is weird and gross
On the cross, Jesus gave up His spirit, and died.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit.
Then they buried His body.
Likewise, we bury bodies at death.
Today, some doctors use a few corpses for medical research and purposes
But there are no stores that sell dead bodies, because people do not want to buy them.
As fun as the story of Frankenstein is, it is simply impossible to create life from a body that was once dead.
For most of us, a body without the spirit is useless, like faith without deeds.
Motion is a test for life.
When a doctor arrives at an accident, he looks for some sign of life.
He listens for a heartbeat, because he knows that if the heart is not beating, he is likely looking at a corpse instead of a living person.
Likewise, spiritual life produces action.
If your faith does not act, bury it and find a living faith.
Point TWO: Saving Faith and action are united
But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
Saving Faith and action are united
Saving Faith and action are united
Saving faith and actions are as united as fire and heat, as living and breathing.
Any faith that can exist without actions is not saving faith, but an imposter
There is a big difference between head faith and heart faith.
Head faith is a sterile, barren, mental belief that does not affect a person’s actions
It is only useful for discussions
In contrast, heart faith guides a person’s values, choices, actions, and destiny.
Heart faith is what we need to be saved
for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
Heart faith leaves footprints of righteousness.
Salvation is not by faith plus works, but by faith that works
Let’s look at the two examples given in our passage: Abraham and Rahab
Abraham
Abraham
Jews pointed to Abraham as an example of faith
Abraham’s faith was more than just a belief in God
Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar?
You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected;
Abraham’s faith cannot be separated from his actions.
His faith was made complete by what he did
If his actions were not there, his faith would have been incomplete.
Our passage in James applies this truth to all believers
You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.
Faith and action go together, like a singer and a song.
Rahab
In contrast to Abraham, we get the example of Rahab.
Abraham was a moral man, while Rahab was a sinful woman.
Abraham was a great and wealthy leader, while Rahab was a common citizen.
Abraham was a Jew, Rahab was a Canaanite
Yet, Rahab the prostitute is listed with Abraham among the heroes of the faith in Heb. 11. and is part of the lineage of Jesus.
Rahab did not understand as much about God as Abraham knew, but she acted on what she understood
In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?
she was considered righteous for what she did
Neither Abraham nor Rahab was perfect, but both of them showed saving faith by their actions.
Isaac was the child of promise, so valuable to his father.
yet, at the command of God, Abraham put Isaac on the altar.
Abraham’s faith expressed itself with acts of obedience.
Likewise, Rahab believed what she heard from the spies about God’s plan.
Then she acted on it
Her action proved her faith and led to her salvation
She didn’t try to play both sides
Abraham and Rahab illustrate that faith and actions travel together, like two railroad tracks.
Conclusion
John the Baptist warned people to produce fruit in keeping with repentance
“Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;
Jesus told his followers to bring glory to God through good deeds
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Jesus also warned that head faith is not enough to enter His kingdom
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.
Jesus warned that God’s sheep show faith and love through actions, while goats are void of good deeds.
“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
“Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
‘For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’
“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’
“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’
“Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;
I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.’
“Then they themselves also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?’
“Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’
“These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
True followers of Christ abide in Him and bear good fruit, but those without fruit will be burned
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
“If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
Faith without fruit is like a bicycle without wheels- it will not take you anywhere.
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